Newcastle United will have to splash the cash and break their transfer record in order to secure the signature of Villarreal striker Cedric Bakambu, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claims that Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez is looking to add more attacking options to his current squad and he is keen on bringing the 26-year-old year to St James’ Park this summer.
The Tyneside club have only managed to sign winger Christian Atsu from Premier League champions Chelsea during the transfer market.
This follows up from the story in the Telegraph which reported that fellow Premier League side West Ham United had seen a £22million bid rejected for the forward.
If the Magpies want to strike up a deal for the Villarreal forward this summer, they will have to smash their current transfer record where they paid La Liga giants Real Madrid £16million for English striker Michael Owen at the start of the 2005-06 season.
Since joining Villarreal two years ago, Bakambu has been one of their best players, scoring a total of 33 goals in all competitions.
The Congolese striker was the man for the big occasion last season, notching up goals against La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Bakambu’s current contract with Villarreal runs out in the summer of 2020.